This invention relates to portable tanks, and more particularly to a valve guard for preventing damage to a valve extending from the bottom discharge outlet of a portable tank.
Portable tanks, particularly those intended for fluids, are typically provided with a bottom outlet from which the contents of the tank can be drained. These tanks are also provided with legs for raising the bottom of the tank above ground level in order to allow proper draining of the tank and to allow the tank to be easily transported using forklifts and the like. Valves secured to the tank bottom outlets allow controlled drainage of the tank contents. Unfortunately, these valves are often damaged by improper handling and misdirected forklifts, for example, thereby causing leaks and requiring repeated replacement or repair. It is therefore necessary to provide a valve guard to prevent unnecessary damage to valves on the underside of tanks. Furthermore, it is particularly desirable to provide a high strength valve guard which is capable of being repetitively produced, such as by a metal stamping process.
Previous apparatus related to valve guards for the protection of outlet valves are described in the following U.S. Pat. Nos: D31,742 to Wilhelm; D296,027 to Dietzen; D319,286 to Waltke et al.; 1,469,646 and 1,602,506 to Rowland; 2,327,654 to McIntosh; 2,476,578 to Barnwell; 2,946,223 to Lauer, Jr.; 3,963,144 to Berwald; 4,605,126 to Goedken et al.; and 4,697,528 to Rehbein.
None of the devices shown in the above patents discloses a valve guard having deflector arms extending from the ends of the valve guard at an angle and with a central ridge extending horizontally along the length of the valve guard and along the deflector arms as described by the present invention.
It is thus one object of the present invention to provide a lightweight and durable valve guard for portable tanks and the like.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a valve guard for portable tanks and the like in which multiple valve guards can be quickly and economically manufactured through a repetitive stamping process.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a valve guard for portable tanks and the like which requires minimal welding, notches, and sheared edges.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a valve guard for portable tanks and the like which is of a high strength, one-piece construction.
By the present invention, there is provided a valve guard of high strength construction for portable tanks and the like which is formed of a single elongated piece of metal and which has a central stabilizing ridge which extends outwardly from the front wall of the valve guard and which runs nearly the full length of the valve guard. The valve guard has a deflector arm at each end which extends out from the valve guard body at an angle and which cooperates with tank legs to deflect any misguided forklifts or other machinery away from the valve on the underside of the tank. The central ridge is rounded and can have a width from approximately one-fourth to approximately one-third the width of the front wall of the valve guard. The valve guard is lightweight, durable, and can be formed quickly through a sequence of stamping operations.